Testimonials

"April 17th, Easter Sunday eve. It had been a relatively relaxed day. Not too strenuous. I hadn’t been exercising recently, hadn’t been physically involved in sports, and hadn’t been completing any physical projects. In fact, at this time I was just standing, thinking about preparing for bed. I was never known to have back problems, but it was time for my body to tell me, “Houston, we have a problem”. I was suddenly overcome with acute lower back pain. I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t stand. I had excruciating back pain and it was shooting down both legs. I found myself begging instead for the pain I had when I burst my appendix. This was a nightmare. I couldn’t do anything.

My wife rushed me to hospital and after the obligatory wait, the Dr. told me that he was concerned. Newsflash. My subsequent scan revealed two herniated discs and probably one of them had ruptured. The pain was still there, only somewhat relieved with high doses of narcotic being injected into me. I was taken home and an urgent orthopedic appointment was given to me for one week later. The Surgeon told me he had the same problem when he was younger and basically had to live with the pain, fight through it and then eventually accept that only surgery would alleviate the symptoms. “So, you had surgery for this then?” “Yes” he replied, “That’s the only thing that got rid of the pain”. He dismissed any further possible methods or modalities with the exception of just keeping busy and active. Although I found the point about activity reasonable, I felt there must be something more specific I could do.

I read around, asked around, and tried a few things. Some of them helped somewhat. I was determined to get off the copious medications that the Dr.s had me on. Then one friend recommended Pilates to me. I had heard of it but did not really know anything about it apart from some misconceived ideas. A couple of friends then recommended it to me. I read more. I was intrigued. I found Mindful Movement.

Sign up and registration was simple. The owner Lori corresponded with me via email promptly and answered all of my questions. More importantly she made me feel comfortable in trying it out. This was something I never thought I would do. I was paired with an instructor for private introductory sessions, Meghann. She was warm and friendly, and very experienced in her approach. She heard of my problems, eyeballed my ability, and new exactly how to introduce Pilates into my life so that it would help. In my first session I performed terribly, demonstrating almost no core strength, and difficulty with every exercise I was instructed to do. But Meghann was supportive. I persisted. I got better. After my third session, now over 2 months since my injury, I realized that I no longer had back pain. I was moving freely, more aware of my body and posture. I was engaging my core and resting my back. I have never been so thankful.

I still attend Pilates, now twice a week. If I ever have to miss a session due to other commitments, my body misses it, because it feels so good to exercise my body in this way. Pilates is now a part of my life, and I cannot thank Mindful Movement enough for rescuing me. Back injuries do more than just debilitate your body, they debilitate your mind and spirit too. With Pilates, I have found the lift my whole being needed, and no surgery. Thank you, Mindful Movement. Your faithful and appreciative client, Kevin."

- Dr. Kevin Ansah, Pediatrician

“As a professional baseball player I am always looking for new ways to better my off-season training regiment. This year I decided to try Pilates with an open mind. Not really knowing what I was getting into I was skeptical. However the instructors at Mindful Movement made it a very easy transition for me. I was hoping for two things from Pilates: increased flexibility and core strength. Pitching requires a lot of core strength to allow you to get into very extreme positions and remain balanced. These positions require the hip, leg, and back mobility to be powerful throughout the pitch. Pilates has allowed me to get full range in movements where without the equipment that Pilates provides would be difficult to train otherwise. I really enjoyed the combination of strength building as well as the mobility aspect of Pilates. I was very surprised after my first couple classes of how tired I was.

Working with four different instructors, it was nice to get each of their individual takes on Pilates and the few different variances they threw at me. I would recommend Pilates to any athlete that is serious about taking their game to the next level. It really does help with overall strength but most importantly core strength. Any athlete that has experienced any sort of imbalance that has led to pain, I have found the typical problem actually stems from a weak core and/or inflexibility. Both of these will be helped practicing Pilates.”

- Brayden Bouchey, 23 Toronto Blue Jays

“On a personal note, I met Lori 2 years ago and started individual Pilates with her in an attempt to avoid a total hip replacement. While Pilates wasn’t able to restore my rapidly degenerating hip, it did restore the rest of my physical and mental health. I had my surgery well prepared to manage the walker, crutches and the early rehab period with ease. I returned to Mindful Movement Pilates and Lori’s supervised Pilates program 4 weeks post-op and haven’t looked back. There are no recipes at Mindful Movement, everyone is provided an individual program to meet their needs and goals. Consequently, I am stronger everywhere, and have better balance and flexibility thus feel 20 years younger. She was able to adapt my program progressively to accommodate my prior neuropathic and skeletal pain and mental concerns, all of which are now gone! On a professional note, as a physiotherapist in the South Surrey area, I often refer Lori clients who have not succeeded in other exercise programs and find her knowledge of rehab training to be very advanced. I have no hesitation in recommending Lori, and her studio Mindful Movement Pilates – she is an exceptional movement trainer.”

- Diane Lee, Physiotherapist

“I enjoy and value the virtual Pilates classes with Lori Thompson at Mindful Movement. I do it 5 times a week, every morning before work. It sets up my day with clear mind and engaged body. If I can’t fit in a regular length class, the “Pilates in Under 15 Minutes” has been my go-to video. After 8 weeks of doing virtual Pilates classes, I notice a stronger core, which has helped my posture from prolonged periods of sitting, a side effect of COVID and working from home. Lori is a gifted teacher and I am in awe of the supportive space she holds for all class participants.”

- Natalie Tillen, Lead Designer at Tech Startup works NYC

"I, like many do not need convincing that regular Pilates classes provide numerous benefits: they help with flexibility, core strength, posture and they have even helped keep my chronic back pain at bay. However, finding a good instructor is key to reaping the benefits of the program. After many classes with well-meaning practitioners, I found Lori Thompson at Mindful Movement. Lori is not someone who has taken a short course so she can teach basic routines. Rather, Lori is a true professional who has devoted a lifetime to learning the body & kinetic movement. In Pilates she is equally good with beginners & advanced students. She makes sure the body is always perfectly aligned, that every muscle in your body is doing what it should, & she doesn’t miss a breath or twitch. However, heed this warning, if you take a Pilates class with Lori you’ll never be satisfied with anyone else in the Lower Mainland.”

- Penelope Peters, Professor Emerita

"I have known Lori for 30 years and have watched her create Mindful Movement from its inception and have always been impressed with her professionalism, passion for wellness and kind hear. In March 2020 during the first pandemic lockdown, I was stuck isolated in a remote community in the Interior of British Columbia. As we all feared the worst and saw our businesses shut down, Lori really felt a need to create an opportunity for people to be connected and continue their wellness path even while in isolation. Most important was that people took care of their mental health in addition to their physical self. She quickly thought of ways to provide her clients with a way to do so by offering online classes which you could access live. Many people were working from home and could not necessarily attend live pilates mat classes so she then began to record these amazing classes and offer them online for her clients to access at any time according to their schedule. Since March she has continued this amazing program and now has over 100 classes at all levels, and specialty classes for members to access. I personally experienced the benefits of those classes. At a time, when I had limited access to people, and no vehicle and was stuck at home with 3 special needs children, this became my lifeline every day. I was able to connect with others, and look forward to moving my body every day. I immediately saw the benefits and felt a spring in my step and my anxiety decreased. For anyone who is out of shape, looking to get started on a fitness program, this is an opportunity to do so at your pace in your own living room. I challenge you to take that step, and try one class, I guarantee you will come back again and again. Thank you Lori, for giving me just what I needed in a time in my life when I needed you most!”

-Lisa Moore, Registered Clinical Counsellor

"Several years ago I was diagnosed with Degenerative Disk Disease, which was causing me tremendous pain in my lower back to the point where I had trouble walking. I began Pilates with Lori at Mindful Movement, and my back improved immediately. I do not experience pain in my back anymore. My posture has improved, as well as my flexibility and overall core strength. I have now been with Lori for close to 4 years and if I miss a week of classes I can feel my back tighten up right away. After all this time I still look forward to our weekly classes.”

- Chelan Barclay, Counsellor